She's 7.

Our amazing, beautiful, smart, silly, and fabulous girl is 7!

Happy Birthday, Ellie!
We love you!

To celebrate (as if we haven't already been celebrating all month!), Granna hosted a delicious birthday supper with Ellie's favorite foods. . . green salad with fresh fruit, yummy shrimp over rice and an ice cream cake.  Just as we finished dessert, Ellie showed everyone her 2nd wiggly tooth.  Jokingly, Granna said "pull it out!" and Ellie did!!  It popped right out of her mouth and flew on the floor.  We were all totally surprised!  Ellie was ecstatic -- her birthday AND a lost tooth!!  The tooth fairy left her 2 gold dollars - one extra since she lost her tooth on her birthday!





Ellie's 7th birthday -- party snapshots!!

Ellie's new print, designed especially for the party.

Birthday Girl!!

Sweet sisters!

Mommy& Ellie

Daddy's girls

Ellie's "Bistro Waitresses" -- Abby, Granna & Mommy in our matching tees (Ellie's idea!)

Ellie and Annie

Olivia and Ellie

Olivia, Annie, Ellie, Mollie and Morgan

Anna and Arly

Annie, Amelia, Olivia and Ellie

Making bracelets

Crown crafting

Josie, Ellie & Annie

Ellie & Morgan -- silly giggles

Sweet Anna talked Tim into making her bracelet -- love her expression!

Dolled up Dolls!

Mmm!!!  Cake.

Dining in Ellie's American Girl Bistro!

Make a wish, our darling Birthday Girl!!!

Fun gifts!

Party Girls with their Party Dolls! 
Happy Birthday, Ellie!!!!

Ellie's 7th birthday party! The party details. . .

Saturday was Ellie's 7th birthday party!  In keeping with the American Girl theme, we had a girl & doll party in pinks and purples.  Since she'd had her big trip last weekend, she just invited a few classmates and friends.

Ellie was very involved in the party planning this year, helping me with all the details.  It was so fun for me to help her bring her creative ideas to life.  She made this garland herself.

Party table

Centerpiece with Cousin Holly's lovely flowers.

We designed these napkin rings after the ones in the American Girl Bistro in Atlanta.

Sugared cups with polka dot straws!

When the party guests arrived, they had four special 'stations' throughout the house to visit.  The first was a doll dressing area, where special party tees and tutus were waiting for the dolls.  Granna made the whimsical tutus!!

Each guest had a personalized bag to store the clothes their dolls were wearing when they arrived.  They could also use them to store their other goodies.

(sideways!)  Crown Crafting was the next station.  The guests designed crowns for their dolls using stickers, markers and other decorations.

The third station was Hair Accessories where the guests decorated ribbon hair clips with sparkly gems -- one for the guest, one for her doll!

The final station was Jewelry Studio.  The girls made personalized bead braceletsand matching ones for their dolls.

Ellie's dolls, Jenna and Emma, in their party clothes!

The doll table!

Doll sized cake!

Ellie's cake -- she designed it herself and told the bakery exactly what she wanted.  It was so pretty!

Yummy cupcakes!

Party table!  Ellie and I made white chocolate dipped pretzels, marshmallow pops and cake pops.   Ellie and Granna found beautiful star cookies at Whole Foods that matched the party perfectly.

Cake Pops in bud vases

Ellie selected the menu based on the Bistro in Atlanta -- fruit skewers with vanilla/cinnamon yogurt dip, star cheese sandwiches, Cheetos and (her favorite!) spinach and artichoke dip in filo dough shells.

The dolls enjoyed their cake and tea while the party guests dined.

Treat bags filled with all their creations!

The American Girl Store!

Arriving at the Atlanta American Girl store for Ellie's birthday shopping spree and lunch!

The store was so pretty inside -- all the dolls were displayed beautifully and Ellie & Abby spent a long time just wandering around taking it all in.

Ellie found her "My American Girl" in the display case. 

The store went on forever!  So many details!  Abby had fun serving shave ice in Kanani's stand!  The store has everything for your dolls you can dream up, including an in-store hair salon.  It was sensory overload!

Even the ladies' room was pink and fancy!  There were special hooks in the stalls to prop the dolls.

Granna surprised Ellie with special lunch reservations in the American Girl Bistro!

Ellie and Abby's dolls were given special seats and the waitress brought each doll a special tea cup, plate and little pitcher of water.  The waitress was so kind to call Ellie and Abby (and their dolls!) by name!  After lunch, the Bistro staff sang Happy Birthday to Ellie!

Our lunch was delicious.  Ellie chose a fruit plate appetizer and turkey panini main course.  Abby had a Bitty Baby Quack-n-cheese plate.  Even the food was pretty (and in fun shapes!).

Lunch Ladies!!! Thank you for the lovely lunch, Granna!!

Everything was so whimsical and over the top -- even the birthday girl chair!!

After our lunch, Ellie finished up her birthday shopping.  She made such wise, thoughtful choices!  She selected several very pretty, outfits for her dolls, a doll-sized travel suitcase, a doll puppy set with travel crate, and a few hair accessories. 

Little ladies & their sweet dolls!
What an amazing weekend full of priceless, precious memories!!! 
Happy almost-birthday, Ellie!  We love you!